Condenser control



July 5 1927 R. N. EHRHART CONDENSER CONTROL Filed June 5o, 1922 Patented July 5, 1927.

UNTSED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAYMOND N. EHRI-IART, OF EDGEWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ELLIOTT COM- .PANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ooNDENsER CONTROL.

Application led June 30, 1922.

The present invention relates broadly to condensers, and more particularly to automatically operable means for shutting oli' or restricting the supply of condensing water to the condenser under predetermined conditions.

It has heretofore been proposed, as illustrated, for example, in the prior Patent No. 1,895,265 of Nov. l, 19:21, to Powell and myself, to sluit off the supply of water to a condenser by means of changes in the vacuum within the condenser. In the construction disclosed in this patent, however, the means for shutting oiithe supply ot water is directly controlled by a vacuum breaker antL is ot such nature that thesupply of water is immediately shut off and must thereafter be manually directed to the condenser. rlhis instantaneous cutting oit is objectionable due to the water hammer produced in the pipes supplying the condenser water to the condenser. This condition is considerably increased where the supply of water is such as to aiIor-d a considerable head.

` Furthermore, thel manual resetting` operation has not been altogether satisfactory.

It has also heretofore been proposed to cut off the supply ot water to a condenser by destroying the vacuum therein. In such cases, however, as distinguished from shutting oil the supply oit water, it has been necessary to always draw water from a supply so located that there is no appreciable head. Even under such conditions, however, the aftertlow into the condenser has frequently been such as to produce injury, by flooding orotherwise, to the apparatus served by the condenser.

By the present invention there is provided an improved condenser control effectively obviating the objections to apparatus as heretofore utilized and controlling automatically the supply of water to the condenser in such manner as to make a manual resetting unnecessary and positively prevent injury to any ot the apparatus associated with the condenser.

In the accompanying drawings Ihave shown, for purposes ot illustration only, certain embodiments of the present invention, it being understood that the drawings do not define the limits of my invention, as changes may obviously be made inthe construction and operation without departing Serial No. 572,106.

from the spirit of my invention or scope of my broader claims.

In the drawings,-

Figure l is a diagrammatic view, partly broken away, illustrating one method of installing my improved control;

Figure 2 is a view on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the construction illustrated in Figure l; and

Figure 8 is a detail view on an enlarged scale, of a slightly modiiied form of apparatus.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that where condensing water is supplied to a condenser under a considerable head, there is considerable danger' of flooding the condenser in the event that the water pumps associated therewith do not function properly. This danger is considerably increased where the water is supplied through a comparatively long pipe due to the momentum of the moving body of the water therein. Unless some means is provided for positively shutting ott this supply oil water, as distinguished merely from cutting off thel supply, it is quite possible for the water to flood the condenser and work its way into the engine, turbine or other apparatus associated therewith and cause considerable damage thereto.

In the drawings I have illustrated a condenser 2 adapted to receive a supply of condensing water from any desired source 3, which may or may not provide an effective head. This condensing water may be conducted to the condenser through a suitable pipe line 4 communicating with a header 5 adapted to discharge the water into the condenser through suitable nozzles 6 to provide an effective condensing spray. There is preferably provided at some suitable point in the line et a manually operable valve 7 by means of which the excess pressure under which the water is supplied may be largely dissipated.

The condensing water is adapted to be removed t'rom the condenser 2 by means of-a pump 8 ot any desired construction, as is customary in the art, and the condenser may have a vacuum maintained therein in any usu'alrnianner. The condenser is also vpreterablyprovided with any Well known form ot vacuum breaker 9 whereby when the liquid level Within the condenser rises beyond 'ot fifteen pounds absolute.

a predetermined point the vacuum breaker will be operated to admit air thereto, as will be apparent. This means in itseltl is-suflicient in some cases where the water is not supplied under head, tor effecting a cessatt rot liow oit condensing,l water thereto, but even in such cases there is usually an objectionable atterliow which is 'frequently suttieient to cause serious damage.

Cooperating` with the vacuum breaker there may, in accordance with the 'present invention, be provided within the line 4la controlling valve adapted to be normally urged into the position illustrated in dotted lines in Figure Q, by means oit a compression spring .1 surrounding` the piston rod 12 which slides through a stationary abutment 13 and which has an operating` connection 1/1 with the valve. Secured to the piston rod 12 is a piston 15 operable within a cylinder 16 which is subjected to atmospheric pressure on one side. The opposite side ot the piston is subjected to the pressure preyailinfr in the pipe l adjacent the outlet oi: the valve 10, by means oi a suitable connection 17. yilhis connection is preferably of comparatively small cross sectional area wherebythe piston will be gradually subjected to pressure variations within the pipe 11.

ln condenser installations ot this character, there are usually provided distributing 'devices within the condensers which absorb acertain amount ot pressure. For this reason, the absolute pressure at the outlet oit the valve 10 will ordinarily be somewhat greater than that existing within the condenser, lt may be assumed, for example, that there is a pressure ot one pound absolute within the condenser, a pressure ot three pounus absolute at the outlet oi: the valve, and an atmospheric pressure Under these conditions, there will exist an etl'ective pressure ot 12 pounds absolute tending to move the piston into the position illustrated in Figure 2 and thereby maintain the valve 1.0

in open position. 1t for any reason the vacuum vwithin the condenser changes, there will be a corresponding change in the absolute pressure existing at the outlet ot the valve 10. lt the pressure within the condenser should, for example, approximate atmospheric pressure, the pressure at the outlet ot the valve 10 would be slightly above this, so that the spring 11 would then draw the pistonto the right as viewed in Figure 2 andfclose thevalve 10. 1n this inannei, the

supply of condensing water to the condenser would be positively `shut ott. n

lt will be apparent that the rapidity with which the valve 10 closes may be varied by properly vproportioning the cross sectional area ofthe connection 17. By making this connection suiiiciently small, it is possible to close the valve 10L gradually enouglito prevent any water hammer within the line 4.

This has heretofore not been possible with constructions such as shown in the prior patent, and it has been necessary to provide large relief valves on the injection line immediately ahead of the shut oli valve. The construction herein disclosed is also such that as soon as the proper conditions are reestablished within the condenser the piston 15 will again be automatically operable to move the valve 10 to open or partially open position. 1t will be apparent that for this rea.- son the present construction is entirely automatic and is .effective tor either completely shutting oifl or restricting the supply of con- (lensing,l water in accordance with variations in the pressure existing at the outlet of the valve, these pressures being indirectly the result oi' pressure variations within the condenser.

In Figure 3 there is illustrated a slightly modified en'ibodiinentof the present invention. For salie ot conciseness in the description, l have designated parts in this tigure corresponding to parts already described, with the same reference characters having a prime aiiixed thereto. With this construction, instead ot having the cylinder 16 `formed with one end entirely open to the atmosphere, l may provide a closure 1S therefor having a comparatively small bleed opening` 19. In this manner the movement ol the piston 15 in a direction etlective tor closing,l the valve 10 slowly forces out the air that is trapped within the cylinder, thereby forming a dasli-pot limiting the rapidity ot' closing,I ot the valve.

By means o1 the springs 11 and 11 it is possible to adjust the valve whereby the pistons 15 and 15 will be operated as soon as a predetermined pressure reached at the outlet ot the valve or, correspondingly, the water inlet to the condenser. vantage inasmuch as ditlei'ent eondeiisers may have ditierent resistances to flow in the distributing; means provided therefor, thereby making,` it desirable to be able to adjustthe valve to respond-to various predetermined pressures. This adjustment with the constructions illustrated may be .effected by substituting different springs or by adjusting the position ot the restrainingl nuts 20.

The advantagesot the present invention arise trom the provision ot a condenser control which is entirely automatic in its .operation and which is elective for positively slnitting off the supply of condensing water, or for restricting` the same.

I claim:

1. ln a condenser having an inlet pipe for supplyingv condensing water thereto, .a

Vvalve in said pipe responsive to pressures at tlieoutlet thereof for controlling the flow of water therethrough, and a piston subjected on one side to atmospheric pressure and on rhis is olf ad-v the other side to the pressure at the outlet of said valve for closing said valve as the pressure at the outlet increases, substantially as described.

2. In a condenser having an inlet pipe for supplying condensing Water thereto, a valve in said pipe' and a piston responsive to the difference in pressure between the atmosphere and that at the outlet of said valve for closing said valve as the pressure at the outlet thereof increases, .substantially .as described.

3. In a condenser having an inlet pipe for supplying condensing` Water thereto, a pressure dissipating valve in said pipe, and a second valve in said pipe intermediate the irst valve and the condenser responsive to pressures at'the outlet of the second valve, substantially as described.

l. In a condenser having an inlet pipe for supplying condensing Water thereto, a valve in said pipe responsive to pressures at the outlet thereof, and adjusting means for causing said valve to respond to definite pressures at said outlet, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a condenser, means for delivering` condensing Water thereto, an automatically operable valve for increasing or decreasing' the effective flow of Water through said means, actuating means for said valve subjected to an external and an internal pressure and movable to valve opening position upon a. decrease in the internal pressure, means for varying' `the effective difference between said pressures, and means for controlling the speed of movement of said valve, substantially as described.

G. In combination with a condenser, means for delivering condensing Water thereto, an automatically operable valve for increasing the effective flow of Water through said means as the pressure at the outlet decreases, and decreasing' the effective flow as the pressure at the outlet increases, and means for controlling the rate of movement of .said valve, substantially as described.

7. In combination with a condenser, means for delivering condensing Water thereto, an automatically operable valve for increasing or decreasing the effective flow of Water through said means, and means having `a regulable movement for controlling the movement of said valve by variations in the pressure existing at the outlet thereof, said means being operable to close the valve as the pressure at the outlet increases, substantially as described.

8. In combination With a condenser, means for delivering water to the condenser,A a valve for controlling the delivery of Water to said means, and means subject indirectly only to the condenser pressure for opening and closing said valve respectively as the pressure in the condenser decreases and increases, substantially as described.

9. In combination With a condenser, means for delivering Water to the condenser, a valve for controlling the delivery of Water to said means, controllable means indirectly subject to the condenser pressure for gradually opening' and closing said valve respectively as the pressure in the condenser decreases and increases, and a vacuum breaker for admittingl air to the interior of said condenser, substantially as described.

lO. In combination With a condenser, means for delivering condensing Water thereto, a valve automatically operable in its opening and closing movements for controlling the supply of condensing Water, said valve being responsive to variations in pressure at the outlet thereof for closing the valve as the pressure at the outlet increases, and means for controlling the .speed of movement of said valve, substantially as described.

l1. In combination with a condenser, means for delivering condensing Water thereto, a valve automatically operable in its opening and closing movements for controlling the supply of condensing Water to cut off the supply of Water as the pressure in the condenser increases, and means for limiting the rate of movement of said valve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

RAYMOND N. EHRHART.

.Cil 

